Obama touts counter-ISIL progress as new front opens in Libya

President Obama met with his National Security Council at the Pentagon Thursday afternoon to receive an update on the military campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

"We're going to keep going after ISIL aggressively across every front of this campaign," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

Obama said ISIL has not had a single military victory in recent months, but warned that the United States will see the group continue to carry out and inspire acts of terror around the globe.

"In the meantime, though, you're seeing ISIL carry out external terrorist acts and they've adapted from al-Qaeda," he said.

The president's visit to the Pentagon comes as a new round of airstrikes has begun on ISIL targets in Libya at the request of the local government. Three strikes have been conducted since Monday.

Obama also said the United States was going to coordinate with Russia to stem violence in Syria and continue to build on gains made against ISIL.

The president, however, said he remained skeptical of Russia's motives.

"Given the deteriorating situation, it is time for Russia to show it is serious about pursuing these objectives," he said. "We go into this without any blinders on. We're going to test and see if we can get something that sticks. And if not, then Russia will have shown itself very clearly to be an irresponsible actor around the world stage that is supporting a murderous regime."